A room at the new Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam, the group’s first European hotel. (Image: Kimpton)

Even though it’s been two years since InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) acquired Kimpton Hotels, the new parent company has left the Kimpton Karma Rewards program alone – until now.

But in early 2018, IHG said this week, it will fold Kimpton Karma Rewards into its own IHG Rewards Club. Kimpton members don’t have to do anything – their accounts will be automatically transferred into IHG Rewards Club, and existing accruals toward Karma Reward Nights will be converted into points in the IHG program. If a Kimpton member already has an IHG account as well, his Kimpton account will be merged into it.

As participants in IHG Rewards Club, Kimpton customers will earn 10 points for every dollar spent at any of IHG’s 5,200 properties worldwide, which are organized into 12 brands. They’ll be able to claim reward nights at any of those hotels, taking advantage of online award redemptions. They’ll encounter no blackout dates for reward stays, and will be able to use IHG’s app to manage their accounts and bookings, IHG said. Members will also be able to redeem points with many program partners and for “experience” awards like concert tickets.

Kimpton Karma members who currently hold tier status in that program will be given an equivalent level in the IHG program. Kimpton Karma Rewards’ Inner Circle “will remain as an invitation-only tier within IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite,” the company noted.

Here’s a summary of what’s changing and what’s not for Kimpton members:

Source: IHG

And here’s a quick look at new tier levels and benefits:

Source: IHG

Since IHG acquired Kimpton, it has been actively growing the brand, and recently expanded Kimpton’s property roster beyond its North American base. Earlier this year, the brand opened its first European location – the Kimpton De Witt in Amsterdam – and a Paris property is in the works as well. And just this week, IHG announced it has signed management contracts for the first three Kimptons in Asia – a villa resort in Bali, a resort in China’s Hainan Province at Haitang Bay in Sanya; and a 150-room/120 villa property in Shanghai.

Rendering of the planned new Kimpton hotel at San Jose’s Tech Museum. (Image: Kimpton)

Kimpton is also adding new U.S. hotels at a rapid pace. It recently cut the ribbon on a new property in Los Angeles, the Kimpton Everly (see Chris’s review here), as well as its second hotel in downtown Denver at the city’s recently renovated Union Station. Next month, Kimpton is due to open new properties in Charlotte and Palm Springs. Longer term, Kimpton is developing a new hotel in San Jose as part of an expanded Tech Museum of Innovation in that city, among other projects.

New cancellation policy coming to all Hilton brands later this month (Image: Hampton Inns)

Starting July 31, you’ll have to cancel your Hilton hotel reservation a minimum oftwo days ahead of time or face paying full price for that first night. That’s right. All Hilton brands will soon join Marriott/Starwood in this restrictive new 48-hour cancellation policy.

The new last-minute cancellation policies are going into effect at Hilton at the end of this month.

We checked today and found the 24-hour policy still in effect at some hotels, so we assume this applies to all reservations made on July 31 and beyond. Hilton already has restrictive cancellation policies of 2-3 days in effect in high demand cities like San Francisco or New York.

A Hilton spokesperson told TravelSkills: “…we have proposed an update to our policy guidance for US and Canada hotels that will begin at the end of the month (July 31). We have proposed updating the default house cancellation policy to 48-hours (72-hours in select locations) for our managed properties and have suggested the same for franchised hotels (this decision will be made at the property level). As always, the cancellation policy associated with any reservation is made clear to our guests throughout the booking process and in the confirmation emails they receive…We regularly review guest booking and cancellation patterns across our 5,000+ properties, and have seen cancellation rates rise the last few years These insights have led to the proposed update, which will allow us to maximize the number of available rooms for guests seeking accommodation. Both guests and hotel owners will benefit from rooms that would previously have gone unused.”

Some observers suspect that hotel chains impose these rules to prevent travelers from booking a standard rate, then canceling the reservation at the last minute and re-booking at a cheaper rate using popular new last-minute booking sites and apps.

UPDATE: July 25: InterContinental Hotels Group brands (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, etc) imposed a 24-hour cancellation policy effective this August. (It’s only a matter of time before it moves to a 48-hour policy, we expect)

This sucks for business travelers because our schedules can change on a dime, and frequently do so with much less than 48 hours advance notice. Remember the good old days when you could cancel without penalty up to 6 pm on the day of arrival? In 2015, both Marriott and Hilton did away with that, upping the deadline to 24 hours- which did not sit well with TravelSkills readers at all (see post). Now this.

Now that both Marriott and Hilton are imposing the new policies, we’ll likely see the rest of the industry follow suit. Also keep in mind that several brands or individual properties have their own policies in place, so always check before you buy!

Another tip: Many hotels will work with travelers individually on these fees, so try to work it out with the hotel if you can. It can’t hurt to ask for an exception, especially if the cancellation is beyond your control, such as bad weather or flight cancellation. A polite plea might do the trick.

This time last year we were paying less than $1.80 per gallon on average for gasoline. Now we are paying about $2.30.

Ouch! Have you noticed the 50 cent increase? The price of fuel not only affects travelers at the pump– it puts pressure on airlines to raise fares as the peak summer season approaches. It also makes ride-sharing drivers earn less.

The average price per gallon now $2.30, up from $1.80 last year. (Gas Buddy)

With travelers looking for relief, InterContinental Hotels Group’s customer loyalty program has started offering its members a new benefit: savings at the pump. It’s a program aimed squarely at biz travelers who drive more than they fly – which is the great majority of them.

The company said its new Fuel Rewards program link provides discounts on gas purchases at Shell stations nationwide, with the amount varying by elite status.

The savings include a 5 cents-a-gallon discount for Club and Gold Elite members of IHG Rewards Club (10 nights or 10,000 points a year); 6 cents for Platinum Elites (40 nights/40,000 points); and 7 cents for Spite Elites (75 nights/75,000 points).

How to get your discount at Shell

It’s a nice innovation for a hotel loyalty program as the price of gas keep creeping up, but 5 to 7 cents a gallon? That’s a savings of a buck or less for a fill-up. We’ve seen supermarket discount cards that offer savings of up to 30 cents a gallon.

But individuals could accumulate greater savings. IHG said the Fuel Rewards program is operated by a company called Excentus, which has similar arrangements with other national brands and retailers, and the benefits can be combined. “As members of the Fuel Rewards program, IHG Rewards Club members can stack additional fuel savings from purchases made at a variety of participating retailers, restaurants and merchants,” the company noted.

Members who want the perk must link their IHG Rewards Club account with Fuel Rewards. Here’s a link to Fuel Rewards, with details and more information.

Earlier this month I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, packing along my camera and notepad. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it.

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Here’s a look at the fourth of the big five…I’ll post all of these in a series over the next few days. Enjoy!

The EVEN Hotel Times Square South (The name is a stretch– it’s located at 321 West 35th St between Penn Station & Javits Center)

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Since the EVEN Hotel was the brand-newest hotel in New York (opened Nov 2015), I decided to stay there during my four days in the big city. But that was not the only reason… there are several more factors that swayed me.

First, this 150-room, 25-story hotel is just a ten-minute walk to Javits Convention Center where I was speaking. Second, it’s a block away from Penn Station, which is where the train from Newark Airport arrives, making the airport-to-hotel portion of the trip a breeze. (See our trip report: SFO-EWR on United) Since opening, the EVEN hotel has remained in the top 10 best hotels in NYC on TripAdvisor.

Then there’s an even bigger factor: My rate at the hotel was only $115 per night! Plus, I earned IHG Rewards points for the stay. That $115 is a pretty amazing rate for a brand new, brand-name hotel in Manhattan, but I was there over a weekend during the “dead weeks” of early January, which is the slowest time of year in New York. (Currently the lowest rate at the EVEN hotel for mid-February is about $169.)

The EVEN is one of several smaller name-brand hotels that have bloomed in the Penn Station area in recent years. There’s a similar phenomenon going on in the Herald Square area where the big brands have jumped into nondescript neighborhoods near Midtown with tall, skinny hotels on small footprints. My room was on the small side, but thoughtfully appointed with super clean cork floors, big bright bathroom, a big comfy bed, free and very fast wi-fi. Downsides included a very small closet and a noisy hallway. Be sure to ask for rooms above the 20th floor to get the most natural light, views and avoid construction noise.

EVEN is IHG’s newest brand and it’s focused on health and wellness– and helping guests stick to exercise routines when they are traveling. They do this with some inventive ideas such as standup desks, yoga mats, exercise balls, rollers, resistance training straps and even mood lighting in all rooms. There are three different flavors of ice water at the front desk for arriving guests. Hotel staff wear uniforms from the outdoor store REI. The hotel general manager periodically leads an easy jog along a three-mile loop through the city’s “midtown west” neighborhood. There is fresh squeezed orange juice, smoothies and kale salad in the hotel’s limited service restaurant.

Hotel programs like Marriott Rewards rolling out new winter promos (Photo of LA Live, where Marriott has 4 big hotels by Chris McGinnis)

The dip in travel demand for the winter season compounded by jitters in the stock market means more lucrative winter promotions from hotel chains. So be sure to take advantage of the following:

This week Marriott kicked off its popular mega-bonus program which individually tailors your winter bonus based on your Marriott Rewards activity. First off, you have to register for the program, and stay at participating properties between Feb 1 and May 15. You’ll get one free night after two stays at hotel categories 1-5. Then you get to “unlock your new bonus points offer” which will be emailed to you. DETAILS.

Starwood got an early start by kicking off its SPG Take Two promo back in December. But I guess it did not stir up enough interest because it recently sweetened the pot of this promotion. Those who register earn double Starpoints on stays of two or more nights at any of its 1,200+ properties worldwide– good for stays January 11 through April 30. Plus, there’s an opportunity to get 250 more points in certain “popular destinations.” This week Starwood added a bigger bonus geared toward heavy users: Earn an additional 2,500 points for 15-24 nights, or a tidy 7,500 for 25 nights or more by April 30. DETAILS

The InterContinental Hotel Group IHG Rewards Club bonus is called Accelerate 2016 and it’s for stays between January 1 and April 30. Like Marriott, this promo is targeted and your bonus is based on your IHG activity. The program is tiered- for example, stay just once during January and you’ll earn 5,000 points. Stay again after January and some will get a 1,000 point bump…and some who stay five times, will get another 5,000 points. There the potential to earn as many as 40,000-60,000 extra points- depending on your IHG activity. DETAILS

Hilton HHonors Double Your Points promo is more basic: It is offering double program points or airline miles (60 airlines) for stays between January 1 and April 30. When registering, you are required to choose either double points or double miles for the duration of the promotion. DETAILS.

Several companies have come out with some new enticing promotions for travelers. Here’s a brief recap of this week’s specials.

Members of InterContinental Hotels Group’s IHG Rewards Club who register online can take part in the company’s new Priceless Surprises promotion (www.ihg.com/surprises). If they use a MasterCard to book and check into any IHG property worldwide from November 15 to February 15, they’ll get 1,000 bonus program points for their first stay. For the second and each subsequent stay, they’ll get a “Priceless Surprise.” These can range from a prepaid gift card to a free night to free trips to a million IHG Rewards Club points.

Frontier Airlines is trying to incentivize passengers during November and December by offering them double frequent flyer miles on all new bookings made for travel completed by December 31. The offer can help EarlyReturns program members top off their accounts and maybe get to elite status (20,000 miles or 25 segments) before the year runs out.

Through the end of December, American Express is seeking to lure Platinum and Centurion cardmembers to its New York LaGuardia Centurion Lounge with an offer of free Uber rides. Cardmembers who show their credentials at the lounge will get a promotion code good for two rides via Uber cars from LaGuardia to any location in New York’s five boroughs — including taxes, tolls, fees and surge pricing. Not flying to LGA? Get $20 off your first Uber ride here

It’s a good time to book a Hawaii trip now that Virgin America has entered the market from San Francisco. Not only has Virgin’s expansion kicked off a fare war that is bringing incredible bargains to the mainland-Hawaii market, but Virgin and United have both trimmed the mileage cost of reward travel to the islands by 20 percent.

Meanwhile, Virgin America also has a new tie-in with Airbnb. Members of the airline’s Elevate program can earn 1,500 points for their first stay at an Airbnb property, and one point per dollar for subsequent stays.

Not all frequent guest programs are equal when it comes to rates of return for reward points, according to a new analysis.

The new Switchfly Hotel Reward Payback Survey from IdeaWorksCompany is based on more than 1,400 queries for reward stays from the four major loyalty programs — Starwood Preferred Guest, IHG Rewards, Hilton HHonors and Marriott Rewards. The company looked at the lowest available price in reward points and the corresponding dollar cost for the room, and adjusted the point value “to consider the different rates of point accrual for the programs.”

The result was a set of percentages that represented the average “payback” level for the four programs — i.e., a rate of 8.0 percent would mean the member was getting back $8 in value for every $100 spent on room rates.

The study found that Marriott Rewards topped the list with an average payback rate of 9.4 percent, followed by Hilton HHonors at 8.9 percent and IHG Rewards at 8.6 percent; Starwood’s SPG was the laggard with a 6.1 percent payback rate.

The report noted that while average payback rates are one thing, individual reward requests are another. The best value for program points comes when room rates available on a specific date are high and the point price is low. For individual reward requests, IdeaWorksCompany found that the payback rate ranged from a whopping 24 percent to a measly 2.5 percent.

The 24 percent rate was in Hilton HHonors, for a $479 room at the Hilton Beijing Chaoyang that cost 30,000 Honors points. The 2.5 percent return was for booking a Starwood Preferred Guest reward stay at the Chicago Sheraton & Towers at a point cost of 12,000 for a $150 room.

The company predicts that hotel giants will eventually make reward pricing for individual rooms more closely linked to rates, as some airlines like Southwest have started to do with award travel and air fares.

Which hotel program are you most involved with? Do you think you get good value when it comes to redemptions? Please leave your comments below.

TravelSkills is headed to Hong Kong this week– have you been recently? Do you have any great restaurant or entertainment suggestions? Post ’em below or email chris@travelskills.com Photo above is from our last trip there in 2012– yummy congee at sunrise at the InterContinental Hong Kong.

Best TravelSkills comment this week: Regarding our post on how few of us actually USE all those travel apps we’ve downloaded onto our smartphones, MGS wrote: “Definitely one of those, ‘Seemed like a good idea at the time.”see post

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

IHG has upscale hotels in world capitals like the Willard InterContinental in Washington D.C. (Image: SebastianToulouse/Flickr)

Last year there was speculation in the lodging and financial industries that Starwood Hotels might be looking to acquire a huge rival: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

Nothing came of that talk, and it later emerged that the real potential suitor for IHG in that case was Wyndham Hotels, not Starwood. But with the announcement this week that Starwood is exploring “strategic and financial alternatives to increase shareholder value,” talk of a run on IHG is starting up again.

Just after the Starwood statement, the price of IHG shares in London jumped almost 6 percent, according to Bloomberg News, as the market suspected the latter company could figure into Starwood’s future plans as a potential acquisition target– although Starwood stressed that it has no timetable for its strategic review.

This would be an interesting combination for frequent travelers. IHG’s Rewards Club is the largest hotel loyalty program in the world. Starwood’s Preferred Guest program is undeniably one of the most popular. A mash up of the two programs would expand earning and burning opportunities like crazy.

Mergers and acquisitions are riding high in the hotel business these days. IHG recently completed the acquisition of San Francisco-based boutique chain Kimpton Hotels, with plans to expand it overseas; and Marriott has made strategic purchases to bolster its overseas inventory, including Africa’s Protea Hotels and Canada’s Delta Hotels.

Runway work at LAX. Los Angeles International Airport has started work on an improvement project for all four of its runways that will continue almost uninterrupted for the next two years. The job will require the closure of one runway at a time, and as a result, “passengers may begin experiencing impacts such as delays or a slight increase in wait times aboard aircraft,” the airport authority said. It noted that the biggest impact might be on the operations of Airbus A380s and 747-800s, which can only use two of the airport’s runways. The project includes the addition of so-called “Runway Safety Areas” at the ends of each runway to give pilots a little more leeway if they undershoot or overshoot their landings. A similar project at San Francisco International last year had little impact on flight operations, and actually wrapped up ahead of schedule.

**TRAVELSKILLS HOUSEKEEPING! We will be updating our format over the next few weeks to make it more easily read on mobile devices. Things could get a little buggy so please bear with us as we make the transition. Thank you, dear readers! We look forward to hearing your feedback when it’s all done.**

International passengers arriving at SFO can now use faster kiosks at customs (Photo: SFO)

Customs kiosks come to SFO, LAS. Those automated passport control (APC) kiosks continue to proliferate at major U.S. airports — a good thing for flyers, since they can cut down the line time for those re-entering the country by up to 40 percent. This week, San Francisco International is hosting a media event to show off the first of 40 new APCs it is installing in its U.S. Customs arrivals facilities. (SFO’s a little late to the show, since more than 30 airports already have them.) Meanwhile, Las Vegas McCarran last week unveiled a number of newly installed APC kiosks in the Customs Arrivals Hall in Terminal 3. And Miami International — one of the first airports to deploy the devices — said it has ordered 44 more APC kiosks, which will give it a total of 80. Passengers use the devices to enter their personal information and scan their passports, receiving a receipt to present to a Customs officer. Important: These kiosks are notGlobal Entry kiosks.

HOTELS

New elite tier at IHG Rewards. InterContinental Hotels Group said it will add a new top membership level to its IHG Rewards Club in July, for those who earn 75,000 points in a year or stay 75 nights. Those who achieve this new tier will get 100 percent bonus points on qualifying stays, and a choice of 25,000 bonus points or the upgrading of a family member or friend to Platinum level in the program. In addition, “The qualification requirements for all membership levels have been restructured to make it easier for members to be rewarded for their loyalty,” IHG said — e.g., 10,000 points or 10 stays will earn a Gold membership, and 40,000 points/40 nights will qualify a Gold member for Platinum.

How to get $50 from Best Western. Best Western’s new spring “Jump Start” promo can help cut the cost of your summer trip, which by most indicators, could be one of the most expensive in recent memory due to high demand. All you have to do is stay at Best Western twice between now and May 25, and you’ll get a $50 gift card to use this summer. Registration required

The Royal Palm South Beach is part of Starwood’s new Tribute brand (Image: Royal Palm)

Starwood’s new brand. Marriott has its Autograph Collection, Hilton has Curio, Choice Hotels has the Ascend Collection, and now Starwood has introduced its own new brand of independent but affiliated hotels. It’s called the Tribute Portfolio, and Starwood said its members will be “four star upper-upscale hotels.” The first Tribute property is the Royal Palm South Beach Miami, and others will soon join in Asheville, N.C.; Nashville, Tenn.; Savannah, Ga.; and Charleston, S.C., the company said. Tribute properties will retain their independent names and designs, but will take advantage of Starwood’s booking channels and will be a part of the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program. Starwood said it expects to have 100 members in the Tribute Portfolio in five years.

Like to drive fast cars and stay at fancy hotels? (Image: Hilton)

Hot cars at Waldorf-Astorias. Like to drive really hot cars that you would never dream of buying yourself? Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria brand has just introduced a new program called Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences at 12 of its properties in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Participants can book a package that includes a hotel stay and a “premier supercar driving experience” that puts them behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren MP4-12C, Porsche GT3, Lamborghini Huracan, or Lamborghini Gallardo. They’ll also get driving tips from racing pros and suggested local touring routes to follow.

How will Hawaii be affected by the drastic drop in foreign currencies? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Now that we are approaching the slower shoulder season, which runs from roughly Easter to Memorial Day, I’m starting to see some nice last minute deals pop up– quite good bargains for those flexy enough to travel in April or May.

Take a look and please note that these rates are subject to rapid change in price and availability:

Hawaii. The plunge in the value of world currencies compared to the US dollar has Hawaii nervous that it will get fewer visitors from abroad, and that its American base might be more interested in a flight to Europe instead of down to the islands. So fares are dropping for spring trips. For example, Hawaiian Air has nonstops between San Jose and Honolulu for as little as $358 round trip. Fly from Oakland or San Jose to Maui for just $388. To me, any West Coast-Hawaii roundtrip fare for less than $400 is a good deal. Hawaiian Air DealsAlaska Airlines is offering similar deals from San Jose or Oakland to Hawaii. Plus it has Los Angeles to Anchorage for just $320 round trip.Alaska Airlines deals

Emirates amazing 2-4-1 deal for economy class seats like these on a new A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Dirt cheap to Dubai: Book two round-trip tickets to Dubai on Emirates for just $1,299 in economy (all in). This means just$650 per person, roundtrip from the US to Dubai. Yes, you read that right, only $650 round trip from any of Emirates nine US gateways: New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Washington DC (IAD), Houston (IAH), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) to Dubai (DXB). Travel must take place between March 24 and December 10, 2015. And you must book the trip by midnight March 12 PDT. I’ve never seen fares that low from the US to Dubai. Must have something to do with this! Emirates 2-4-1 special

The SWISS flower power A340 appeared in San Francisco in 2010. I miss it! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Europe! The euro continues to plunge against the US dollar, hitting a new low today of $1.07. Some observers think that we could see parity by this spring or summer (1 dollar = 1 euro), down from about $1.40 per euro last May. This means that Americans will find Europe a relative bargain bonanza when it comes to hotels, meals, local transport, gifts, etc. While airfare has remained stubbornly high, I’m now seeing some cracks, such as a flash sale (book by March 11) from SWISS with April/May round trips as low at $789 between Boston and Switzerland or Germany. New York and Budapest just $757.Roundtrips to Istanbul from San Francisco or Los Angeles are in the $1,100 range. SWISS sale fares.

Virgin America & JetBlue launched a two day sale (book by March 11) with fares as low as $128 round trip. Some nice examples from JetBlue: Roundtrip New York to Charleston to watch the flowers bloom for just $128. Long Beach to Oakland or Las Vegas roundtrips for just $99. Seattle or San Diego-Boston for just $188 roundtrip is dirt cheap for a transcon. JetBlue sale site. Virgin America’s sale is good through March 12 for travel April 7-June 10– with blackout dates and only good on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Some examples: Dallas-Washington DC is a super low at just $108 round trip. SFO-LAX roundtrips at $140; SFO-Vegas, Seattle & San Diego roundtrips $189. SFO-Palm Springs $199 roundtrip. Virgin America deals.

Alaska Airlines today announced a new nonstop between Seattle and New York JFK with fares as low as $298 round trip PLUS double miles if you purchase your ticket by March 16 and complete your trip by Nov. 18, 2015. Alaska Air to JFK

The view over the Venetian from my room at the Palazzo in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Las Vegas: Now here’s an interesting deal for folks who have a lot of IHG Rewards points. For today only, you can book the nice Venetian or the The Palazzo, in Las Vegas just 25,000 IHG Rewards Club points. That’s a big 50% discount on points required AND the deal is good for stays all the way through December 28. Must book today or tomorrow (March 11) by noon.

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Please note that these rates are subject to rapid change in price and availability:

The Parc 55 is now a Hilton. Note the nearby SF Hilton Union Square tower in the upper left (Photo: Hilton)

Hilton adds two San Francisco hotels. HHonors members should be happy to hear this: San Francisco’s 1,024-room Parc 55 Hotel, located downtown at 55 Cyril Magnin St. near the Powell Street BART station and Union Square — is now a Hilton. The lodging giant said it purchased the Parc 55 (formerly a Wyndham) and four other hotels with the whopping $1.95 billion proceeds from its sale of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York to China’s Anbang Insurance Group. (The Waldorf will continue to be managed by Hilton, the company noted. And word on the street is that a massive, and much needed full renovation of the storied-but-tired property is in the works.) Meanwhile, Hilton is taking bookings starting June 1 for a newly built Hampton Inn a few blocks away from the Parc 55 at 942 Mission Street near the Moscone Convention Center.

Weather update: Nearly 1,700 flights canceled to/from Northeast airports as the area is walloped by yet another winter storm. And another storm is now bearing down on Southeastern states. Airlines are issuing waivers for those wishing to postpone trips. In the meantime, it’s 72 degrees, sunny and springlike in San Francisco and the plum trees are poppin’ purple! Here’s some hope for the shivering masses: Daylight savings starts in just three short weeks! March 8. Still have the winter blues? British Airways just released a video of Oxford University’s all male a capella group Out of the Blue, remaking Wham’s holiday classic, ‘Club Tropicana’ in Malta. Watch the fun video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92wSOebt4Nw

San Diego’s new Terminal 2 WEST is state of the art while the rest of the airport is pretty dour

Virgin moves at San Diego. Virgin America Airlines, which flies five times a day between San Diego and San Francisco, has moved its check-in operations at SAN from the dour, aged east side of Terminal 2 to the sparkling new west side. The new Virgin check-in counters and kiosks are located between the Delta and JetBlue positions, and airport signs have been changed to reflect the move. United also operates out of the new west side of Terminal 2.

Expedia buys Orbitz. Apparently online mega-travel site Expedia wasn’t satisfied with its recently announced plans to buy rival Travelocity, because Expedia is now planning to gobble up Orbitz and its affiliated companies as well, for $1.6 billion. Besides Orbitz.com, that includes Orbitz for Business, CheapTickets.com, ebookers and HotelClub. Besides its namesake website, Expedia also owns Hotels.com, Hotwire.com and Trivago. This leaves Expedia and Priceline as the two major OTA players. Do you use online travel agencies, known as “OTAs” to book trips why or why not?

HHonors offers lifetime Diamond status. Longtime Diamond members of Hilton’s HHonors program will have that status extended for the rest of their lives, an HHonors spokesperson told TravelSkills. Specifically, the lifetime status will be offered to anyone who has held Diamond status for 10 or more years (not necessarily consecutive) and has completed at least 1,000 nights of paid stays. “Over the past several years we have learned from members that Lifetime Diamond Status is something our most elite members are extremely passionate about,” the spokesperson said, adding that members who met the requirements by December 31, 2014 will receive a lifetime card and a gift in the mail.

Hyatt has new perks for elites. Hyatt’s Gold Passport program is adding some new perks for top-level members. Starting March 1, Diamond members who transfer a free night paid with points to family or friends will have their Diamond in-hotel benefits (like breakfast, Regency Club access etc.) extended to those guests. Also effective March 1, Gold Passport Diamonds will get a pair of free passes each year for access to United Airlines’ airport lounges. And starting February 14, Diamonds and Platinums will get free premium Wi-Fi access at all Hyatts worldwide.

Seen this entrance to the new Baccarat hotel on W 53 in NYC yet?

Another posh NYC hotel coming. March 2 is the opening date for the next of New York City’s posh and pricey hotels. This one is The Baccarat, at 20 West 53rd Street. Rates will reportedly start at about $729 a night for a classic king room. As its name suggests, the hotel’s decor will be heavy on glass and crystal touches.

Marriott just added 38 new Delta hotels in Canada, like this one in Toronto

More opportunities to earn Marriott Rewards. Marriott International will greatly increase its presence in Canada with the planned acquisition of that country’s Delta Hotels brand for $135 million. Delta has 38 hotels with 10,000 rooms in 30 Canadian cities; after the deal is complete, that will boost Marriott’s total presence in Canada to more than 120 hotels and 27,000 rooms. Marriott said that will make it “the largest full-service hotel company in Canada.” Meanwhile, Marriott also announced plans to bring its new Moxy brand from Europe to the U.S., with three new Moxy properties in New York City and others in San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans and Chicago. The first Moxy opened in Milan last fall and others are coming in Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin Copenhagen and London. The Moxy brand will be modern and high-tech, with “highly social” lobbies, “free and furiously fast Wi-Fi” and such.

InterContinental offers double Delta miles. Members of InterContinental Hotels Group’s IHG Rewards Club who select Delta SkyMiles as their earning option can get double bonus miles for every qualifying stay at an IHG property from now through April 30. The offer requires online registration.

Blizzard warning in Chicago and heavy snow to snarl air travel Monday and Tuesday (Image: NWS)

Storm update: Airlines have started to cancel flights and issue waivers of change penalties for Monday/Tuesday flights across a wide swath of the northern US. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for Chicago. Stay warm and remember: If your flight is canceled and you decide to bag your trip completely, the airline owes you a full refund.

FCC gets tough on Wi-Fi blockage. The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau issued a stern warning last week that it won’t tolerate hotels or other commercial establishments blocking customers’ personal Wi-Fi hotspots. Last year, the enforcement agency fined Marriott $600,000 after one of its affiliated properties was caught doing just that in conference rooms; it said last week it is seeing a “disturbing trend” of similar activity and is currently investigating several complaints. “No hotel…may intentionally block or disrupt personal Wi-Fi hot spots on such premises, including as part of an effort to force consumers to purchase access to the property owner’s Wi-Fi network,” the FCC said. Think this has happened to you? Go to www.fcc.gov/complaints or call 888-CALL-FCC with details. Do you prefer your own hotspot to the hotel’s Wi-Fi? Under what circumstances?

Full capitulation by Marriott. At first, it Marriott put up a fight over the heated hotspot issue, but quietly issued this “we thought we were doing the right thing” statement Saturday morning: Bethesda, Md., January 30, 2015 – Marriott International has decided to withdraw as a party to the petition seeking direction from the FCC on legal Wi-Fi security measures. Our intent was to protect personal data in Wi-Fi hotspots for large conferences. We thought we were doing the right thing asking the FCC to provide guidance, but the FCC has indicated its opposition. As we have said, we will not block Wi-Fi signals at any hotel we manage for any reason. And, as of January 15, we provide free Wi-Fi to all members of our Marriott Rewards program who book directly with us. We’re doing everything we can to promote our customers’ connectivity using mobile and other devices, and we’re working with the industry to find security solutions that do not involve blocking our guests’ use of their Wi-Fi devices.

SpringHill Suites Security. Have you seen how SpringHill Suites is putting a wrap (and some cushy couches) on airport security?See this

Disappearing soon? (Photo: Consumerist Dot Com / Flickr)

Demise of the hotel room phone upon us? We’ll have a TravelSkills post this week about a new app that could spell the end to the room phone.

Hyatt’s new brand. Is there no end to new brands in the hotel industry as major companies try to capture the growing market of Millennial business travelers? Hyatt has introduced five brands since 2006, and here comes a sixth: Some 15 Hyatt properties in key business destinations (like New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami and Paris) will take on a new identity this summer as the company launches the Hyatt Centric brand. Hyatt says it will be “a full-service lifestyle brand” for travelers who want “a cosmopolitan vibe in the center of the action” (hence the name Centric). Like so many new brands, Centric will offer a public area where guests can work and socialize, along with a “knock ‘n’ drop” room service (i.e., no “formal delivery”). For more, go to www.hyattcentric.com. Which new hotel brands have you tried? What’s your favorite?

Virgin’s Nashville plans. Virgin Hotels just opened its first property — in Chicago — but already has released plans for its second, which will open in Nashville in fall of 2016. Appropriate to its address at One Music Row, the 240-room hotel will include one non-standard facility: A recording studio. Also on tap are a live entertainment venue, Virgin’s trademark Commons Club bar/restaurant/hangout space, a gym, wellness center and rooftop pool.

The hotel has a central London location, service, and style business travelers require. It also has a handsome restaurant and bar with a type of food you would not expect to find across the pond.

While in the UK over the holidays in 2013, I checked in at the hotel for two nights.

The hotel is located in a quiet corner of London near Buckingham Palace (Chris McGinnis)

>The 256-room hotel opened as an InterContinental in early December 2012 in a quiet, yet very central area of London, in between Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It’s next door to New Scotland Yard. It will become a Conrad this starting September 14 2014.

>The new hotel was built inside a group of 19th century buildings called the Queen Anne’s Chambers—so even though it looks traditional red-brick-London on the outside, everything inside is modern and brand new. As a matter of fact, when I was there, rooms on two floors of the hotel were still under construction.

>Room rates are currently pegged at about $450 per night in August, and since it will soon be part of Hilton, you will be able to earn and burn HHonors points here.

The InterContinental Westminster near Buckingham Palace will soon be the Hilton Conrad Westminster. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>This is one of the few luxury hotels in London that offers free wi-fi—and since the hotel is new, it has fat, fast pipes for quick and easy downloading, streaming, etc. (No word yet on whether Conrad will offer free wi-fi.)

>Rooms are decorated in a pale palette of blondes, beige and gold, with classy wood, leather, marble and chrome finishes, which keeps the rooms bright—a good thing since most windows in the low-slung (6 story) building look out to other buildings across alleyways and streets or into light wells.

>Bathrooms are big, modern and bright with separate tubs and showers. However, I was not a fan of the large, heavy, sliding doors separating the bathroom from the sleeping room. They seem awkwardly heavy, and not very soundproof, which can be important when more than one person is in the room.

>Its fresh-faced, young, and professional staff is energetic, highly trained– delays in opening the hotel meant more training time for employees.

A lovely, quiet parlour off the main lobby area. (Chris McGinnis)

>Since the hotel hopes to attract London’s political set, the lobby and common areas are all connected, and designed to see and be seen. For example, when you walk in to the chic limestone, sky-lit lobby, you can look through to Emmeline’s, an elegant tea and champagne bar, then through that to Blue Boar Smokehouse, the hotel restaurant and bar. (No word yet on if or how Conrad will change the restaurants.)

>Art and interior design are inspired by the hotel’s location. For example, carpet in the corridors sports an unusual fingerprint design (for the spooks in Scotland Yard next door). Most of the paintings and sculpture include characters from London’s rich political scene, past and present—for example, there are busts are Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and London’s blustery mayor, Boris Johnson.

>It felt a bit odd for me, someone who grew up in the BBQ-sauce-soaked South, to dine on smoke ribs, pulled pork, baked beans and cole slaw in London. But I did, and loved it! In typical British style, the, the BBQ at the hotel’s Blue Boar Smokehouse is served on (get this…) a silver platter. And in another hat tip to British tastes, the restaurant offers pulled lamb. Kudos to the chef Jon Ingram, who served up sweet, smoky and moist pulled pork, and spare ribs charred and spread with just the right amount of sauce. To finish, a classy finger bowl is provided to rinse sticky fingers.

>The Blue Boar Bar, with green leather love seats, plaid loungers, wooden floors and a full bar looked like it would be great fun with a crowd. But when we were there, parliamentarians were on Christmas break, so it was quiet.

>Overall, The InterContinental Westminster is a very nice, new hotel in a quiet corner of London. It will be interesting to watch how it transforms into a Conrad.

>The neighborhood around the hotel is a hotspot for new hotels… nearby you’ll find the St Ermin’s hotel and 41 Hotel both opened within the last year and both worth a look-see!

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The new (ish) InterContinental New York Times Square is one of my favorites (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

News broke today (Monday May 26) that the UK-based InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is the target of a takeover by a US hotel company, which many believe to be Starwood Hotels & Resorts. IHG has reportedly rejected the $10 billion offer. (Memorial Day in the US and a bank holiday in the UK mean news is scant on this one.)

Despite the rejection, Starwood could come back with a sweeter offer. Britain’s newspaper The Guardian speculated “InterContinental’s attraction to an American business would be to help it save billions by moving its tax domicile to Britain.”

This would be an interesting combination for frequent travelers. IHG’s Rewards Club is the largest hotel loyalty program in the world. Starwood’s Preferred Guest program is undeniably one of the most popular. A mash up of the two programs would expand earning and burning opportunities like crazy.

My first reaction is to try and figure out which IHG brands or hotel would align best with current Starwood brands. Here are a few thoughts. I’d love to hear yours!

First off, Starwood is likely after IHG for its prize: The Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express brands. Starwood has always lacked a strong midscale product (4 Points just doesn’t cut it) and this would round out its brand portfolio nicely.

If Starwood gets IHG, I bet it would keep the well-known Holiday Inn Brand, but likely fold IHG’s other brands into existing Starwood brands.

I’m a big fan of IHG’s hip Indigo Brand, and could see most of those new hotels easily folded into Starwood’s trendy W or Aloft brands.

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IHG’s InterContinental brand would probably split up, with its nice grand dames mixing nicely with Starwood’s Luxury Collection, Le Meridien or maybe even St Regis (although many would need significant upgrades.) For example, I could see the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in SF or the Barclay in NYC in that category. The larger, more modern convention-style InterContinentals (like the InterContinental Times Square, or the one by Moscone Center in SF) would likely become Westins or Sheratons.

Speaking of Sheratons, I could seen nearly all of InterConti’s Crowne Plaza hotels (primarily focused on meetings and, at least in my experience, hosting flight crews) fitting into the Starwood portfolio best as Sheratons.

Editor Chris McGinnis

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